Fifteen years ago, Eesti Energia - Estonia’s leading energy company - faced a challenge. The decades-old steel cooling water pipes at Narva Power Plants had deteriorated, causing leaks and efficiency losses.

To ensure long-term reliability, they needed a modern, high-performance replacement. Their pipe manufacturer Krah Pipes OÜ, a specialist in large-diameter thermoplastic pipes, selected high-density polyethylene (HDPE) spiral-wound pipes made from Borealis BorSafe™ HE3490-LS - a durable, easy-to-install solution that offered a wide range of benefits over traditional materials. 

Today, those replacement pipes are still performing with the same reliability and performance as when they were first installed, with no reported issues. Their continued durability is a testament to the benefits of selecting the right materials for infrastructure projects that need to stand the test of time in demanding environments.

Why BorSafe HE3490-LS?

Based on our state-of-the-art Borstar® technology, BorSafe HE3490-LS is a PE100-classified material with an expected service life of 100 years. It enables pipes suitable for advanced installation techniques, including relining and electrofusion welding. This capability was key to the Narva Power Plants project, allowing 260 meters of old pipes to be replaced with ID1400 Krah Pipes OÜ pipes in just two months.

BorSafe HE3490-LS has proven its durability in this real-world application. Its exceptional resistance to slow crack growth and strong joint integrity have helped ensure uninterrupted performance at the Narva Power Plants—eliminating corrosion-related maintenance and removing the need for cathodic protection (which is required for steel pipes).

The reliable choice for infrastructure that’s built to last

Infrastructure projects are costly and disruptive, so it’s important that they’re designed and built with long-term performance in mind. With fifteen years of flawless performance, these HDPE pipes demonstrate the value of making a considered material choice.

Advancing sustainability in modern pipe systems

Today, Borealis continues to support the demands of modern infrastructure by providing advanced polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene materials that combine reliability with efficiency.

Our BorSafe PE grades provide durable, low-maintenance solutions across a wide range of sectors, helping customers to modernize with confidence. They also take sustainability a step further than was possible 15 years ago, as they can be produced using feedstock from the —our portfolio of circular polyolefins based on renewable feedstocks. 

These premium polyolefins deliver the same high performance as fossil-based alternatives but with a significantly lower environmental footprint.

Source: borealisgroup.com